61648863.pdf

\n\n--- Page 1 ---\n\nGAINESVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDER TITLE ACCREDITATION Vehicle Pursuits CALEA 41.2.2 (a-i); 41.2.3 (a-e ) PRIOR REVISIONS 07/09/09, 09/05/13, 09/31/16, PROPONENT UNIT 08/13/19, 04/22/2020, 05/04/22, Patrol Operations 11/21/22, 03/21/24 ATTACHMENT: NONE NUMBER ISSUE DATE REVISION DATE TOTAL PAGE 41.4 07/01/1998 10/14/2024 20 I. PURPOSE: This Order provides members with the policies and procedures governing vehicle pursuits. II. POLICY: Because vehicle pursuits pose a danger to the public and Department members, the Gainesville Police Department shall develop and maintain a set of policies and procedures that enable members to safely conduct pursuits. Officers will always consider the dangers of a vehicle pursuit in relation to the lives and property of innocent users of the roadways, law enforcement employees, and the violator. Officers deciding to give chase must balance the need to stop a suspect against the potential threat to everyone created by the pursuit. III. DEFINITIONS: A. Pursuit: An active attempt by a sworn member of the Department, using their vehicle’s emergency equipment, to apprehend the driver of a moving motor vehicle when the driver knowingly and willfully refuses to stop and violates other laws in an effort to avoid or delay stopping or capture. While catching up to the violator, the member MUST use due care to ensure the safety of all other drivers. Catching up to the violator is not considered part of the pursuit, but shall be reviewed during the pursuit review. Pursuits are divided into two categories defined by the risk they pose to the public, the subjects in the fleeing vehicle, and the sworn members. (NOTE: All speeds are measured using the Member’s speedometer). 1. Low Risk: I. In cases where a violator does not accelerate and/or II. Take evasive action in the effort to avoid being stopped (Examples of evasive actions would be to make several quick turns or turn off all lights at night) and III. The violator’s driving behavior does not place the public in any undue danger. IV. A supervisor may authorize the officer attempting to stop the violator to continue to follow the car until the violator stops. Page 1 of 20\n\n--- Page 2 ---\n\nGAINESVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDER V. Examples of low risk pursuit behavior: a. Violator may roll a stop sign at a very low speed. b. Violator travels no more than 10mph over posted speed limit. c. Violator does NOT cross through solid red lights at any intersection that has these types of traffic control devices. 2. High Risk: I. The most dangerous pursuits and only for the most serious and violent offenders, whose apprehension is critical to the safety of the citizenry. II. High likelihood the pursuit will end in a crash. B. Emergency Signal Device: The siren and flashing or revolving red and/or blue lights which meet the requirements of Florida State Statutes. C. Authorized pursuit reasons: [CALEA 41.2.2.b] HIGH RISK PURSUIT* LOW RISK PURSUIT* • Murder or Attempted Murder • Aggravated Battery w/ Serious Bodily Injury • Any offense of traffic violation • Drive-by Shootings • Suspected of Driving under the influence • Any type of Robbery w/a Firearm • Any crime not delineated in High Risk • Aggravated Assault w/a Firearm Pursuit criteria • Kidnapping • Vehicular Homicide FSS 782.071 *NOTE: There are further pursuit considerations and limitations listed under Pursuit Criteria Section: V.C. D. Vehicle Tactics: Reasonable vehicle strategies employed during an authorized vehicle pursuit to resolve the incident in the safest way possible. Example; channeling or P.I.T. E. Non-Descript Police Vehicles: Non-descript police vehicles are those intended to blend in with routine vehicle traffic, and which have no visible police markings or equipment. (covert cars) Page 2 of 20\n\n--- Page 3 ---\n\nGAINESVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDER F. Unmarked Fleet Vehicle: Unmarked fleet vehicles have the same or similar body style as marked patrol cars, are a solid color, and are not conspicuously marked. They are equipped with police equipment (siren and lights). Normally should not be the primary vehicle in a pursuit. G. Marked Fleet Vehicle: A conspicuously marked police vehicle that has striping, lettering and Department seals. These vehicles may or may not have roof-mounted light bars. Muted marking, as on a DUI vehicle, would be considered marked for this policy. H. Motor Vehicle (for the purposes of this Order): Any self-propelled vehicle not operated upon rails or guideway, including motorcycles, mopeds, gasoline-propelled scooters, go-carts, ATVs. I. Catching Up When an Officer has observed a violation or has information of a vehicle being involved in a crime and attempts to catch up to the vehicle with the intent of executing a traffic stop whether a traffic stop or a felony stop. a. Catching up must be completed within 0.5 miles where you closed the distance to within two car lengths from the violators vehicle, once you past this distance you are considered in a pursuit and it must meet the authorized pursuit criteria to continue following the vehicle. i. (Highway Interdiction Team) If conducting traffic enforcement on I-75, the 0.5 miles limit does not apply due to speeds and distances travelled. For all other traffic efforts within the City Limits, the 0.5 mile range does apply. ii. Pacing a vehicle for speed is also excluded from the distance of 0.5 miles. b. If a member loses sight of a vehicle for more than 15 seconds while trying to catch up, they should stop their efforts and return to the speed limit. c. If in order to catch up to the vehicle you are going to violate a FSS, your lights and sirens must be activated. i. Lights and sirens must stay activated during the entire effort to get the vehicle to stop and should not be intermittingly used. d. If catching up to a vehicle, officers will not exceed more than 80 mph unless for an authorized pursuit (Section III, D.). Page 3 of 20\n\n--- Page 4 ---\n\nGAINESVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDER i. (Highway Interdiction Team) If conducting traffic enforcement on I-75, the 0.5 miles limit does not apply due to speeds and distances travelled. For all other traffic efforts within the City Limits, the 0.5 mile range does apply. e. If catching up to any vehicle for anything other than a traffic violation, the officer shall notify CCC on the radio: i. Location ii. Tag (if possible) iii. Vehicle Description iv. Reason for the stop; i.e.: stolen vehicle f. If a member sees a vehicle which fled during a pursuit or catch up effort that was previously terminated, an on-duty shift patrol shift Lieutenant (Lieutenant or acting Lieutenant) must approve any attempt to catch-up or stop the vehicle in any subsequent encounters. Absent that approval, members shall not try to catch up or pursue a vehicle until authorization is given. IV. Pursuit Protocol: A. Responsibility: Sworn personnel have the responsibility operate vehicles in a manner which does not unnecessarily endanger the public while attempting to apprehend suspected violators of the law. 1. Sworn personnel shall have initial documented pursuit training and annual documented pursuit policy review through training. [CALEA 41.2.2 m,n] B. Authority: Only sworn personnel operating authorized marked or unmarked fleet vehicles shall participate in a high risk pursuit. (See IV. Pursuit Protocol C.3. for use of motorcycles and non-descript vehicles to initiate a low risk pursuits). 1. Primary Vehicle: [CALEA 41.2.2.c] The primary pursuit unit is the vehicle who initiates the pursuit. I. Primary vehicle status shall be assumed by the closest unit to the fleeing vehicle. II. The primary vehicle shall direct other related police action and the location of the support vehicle. Page 4 of 20\n\n--- Page 5 ---\n\nGAINESVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDER 2. Support Vehicle: [CALEA 41.2.2.d] The support unit is defined as the unit that assists the primary unit by traili